Page 925 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 April 1994
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Further down the speech stated:
We will protect those in need in our community.
Then the Chief Minister talked about a lot of things, but again she did not mention the ageing. There was not one word on the ageing in any of those four budget papers. At page 3 of the 1992 budget speech she stated:
This Budget delivers ... to all members of the community.
I defy the Chief Minister to show me where in her 1992-93 budget she delivered anything to the ageing. There is nothing there. So it goes on. In fact, in that budget speech she did acknowledge the needs of the ageing. The words are there: "We acknowledge the needs of the ageing". But when you get to the comments on the expenditure part of her budget, the only reference to the ageing is a reference to the home and community care program. She neglected to say that this Government has frozen contributions to the home and community care program at the 1990-91 levels. They have not been increased since. This is this Government's commitment to the ageing! There has been no commitment whatsoever from this Government to the ageing.
So the question is: What should the Government be doing? The need has been clearly defined. We have had two comprehensive reports from committees of this Assembly over the last three years. One committee, chaired by Mr Wood, produced probably the most comprehensive report that has ever been tabled in this Assembly in its five-year life. Last year a second report was tabled by Ms Ellis following another very comprehensive review of the needs of the ageing. Of course, only a matter of weeks ago the Council on the Ageing submitted to the Chief Minister their proposals for the 1994-95 budget. That document merely restates all of the things that were dealt with in the two previous reports presented by our own committees.
The requirements have been well and truly spelt out. And what does the Government intend to do? It intends to have an interdepartmental committee. What on earth do we need an interdepartmental committee to do? Are they going to spell out in any more detail than has been spelt out already what the requirements are? No, they are not. This is an interdepartmental committee. It does not even incorporate the Council on the Ageing. This peak body represents 30,000 citizens. It is one of the bigger minority groups in this community. It has given the Government all of the advice that it has available to it, using the resources that it has, and the best the Government can say is, "We will have an interdepartmental committee to review what you have already told us. We do not believe you. We do not trust you".
Look at what this interdepartmental committee is going to do. They are going to develop a plan. You can imagine how long this is going to take. We have an election less than a year away, and they are going to develop a plan. They are going to look at such issues as access to convenient transport. What the hell is there to look at? Other issues to be looked at include a safe, attractive and well-designed environment; positive community attitudes to the ageing; healthy lifestyles; and appropriate accommodation options.
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